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The Ouija Board
U.S. Patent D056,449. Design patent for toys (D21/813) which
was filed May 26, 1920. Issued Oct 26, 1920. Patentee was Clifford H. McGlasson.
Public domain.
A ouija (often pronounced "wee-gee" or called weegee board)
is any flat surface printed with letters, numbers, and other symbols, to which a planchette or movable indicator points, supposedly in answer to questions from
people at a séance. The fingers of the participants are placed on the planchette
that then moves about the board to spell out messages. Ouija is a trademark for
a talking board currently sold by Parker Brothers. While the word is not
considered a genericized trademark, it has become a trademark which is often
used generically to refer to any talking board. In popular culture these boards
are considered to be a spiritual gateway used to contact the dead; however, the
only evidence for this is the various accounts of users, and cannot be
scientifically tested.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouija
History of the Ouija Board
There are several theories about the origin of the term "Ouija". According to
one of these, the word is derived from the
French "oui" (for "yes") and the
German/Dutch
"ja" (also for "yes"). An alternative story suggests that the name was revealed
to inventor Charles Kennard during a Ouija séance and was claimed to be an
Ancient Egyptian word meaning "good luck." It has also been suggested that
the word was inspired by the name of the
Moroccan city
Oujda. Despite
its common usage, "Ouija" is a
registered trademark. The term ouija board, however, is not.
According to some sources, the first historical mention of something
resembling a Ouija board is found in
China around 1200
B.C., a divination method known as Fu Ji (扶乩). Other sources claim that according to a French
historical account of the philosopher
Pythagoras,
in 540 B.C. his sect would conduct
séances at "a
mystic table, moving on wheels, moved towards signs, which the philosopher and
his pupil,
Philolaus, interpreted to the audience as being revelations supposedly from
an unseen world."
However, other sources call both claims into dispute, claiming that Fu Ji is
spirit writing, not the use of a spirit board, and that there is no record of
Pythagoras or his students actually having used this method of achieving oracles
or divinations.
In addition, the claim of ancient Greek use is called into doubt by questions of
historical accuracy, as
Philolaus
was never the pupil of
Pythagoras,
and indeed was born roughly twenty-five years after
Pythagoras's
death.
The first undisputed use of the talking boards came with the
Spiritualism movement in
The United States in the mid-19th
century. Methods of
divination
at that time used various ways to spell out messages, including swinging a
pendulum
over a plate that had letters around the edge or using an entire table to
indicate letters drawn on the floor. Often used was a small wooden tablet
supported on casters. This tablet, called a planchette, was affixed with a
pencil that would write out messages in a fashion similar to
automatic writing. These methods may predate modern Spiritualism.
During the late
1800s, planchettes were widely sold as a novelty. The businessmen
Elijah
Bond and Charles Kennard had the idea to patent a
planchette
sold with a board on which the alphabet was printed. The patentees filed on May
28, 1890 for patent protection and thus had invented the first Ouija board.
Issue date on the patent was February 10, 1891. They received
U.S. Patent 446,054 .
Bond was an attorney and was an inventor of other objects in addition to this
device. An employee of Kennard,
William
Fuld took over the talking board production and in
1901, he started
production of his own boards under the name "Ouija". The Fuld name would become
synonymous with the Ouija board, as Fuld reinvented its history, claiming that
he himself had invented it. Countless talking boards from Fuld's competitors
flooded the market and all these boards enjoyed a heyday from the 1920s through
the 1960s. Fuld sued many companies over the "Ouija" name and concept right up
until his death in 1927. In 1966, Fuld's estate
sold the entire business to Parker Brothers, who continues to hold all
trademarks and patents. About 10 brands of talking boards are sold today under
various names.
People believe the motion of the planchette is explained by the ideomotor
effect. A typical session with the board has two or more people touching the
planchette with at least one hand each, so that no single person need apply much
force in order for the group as a whole to cause it to move. Each person
experiences the illusion that the planchette moves under its own power.
Skeptic and magician James Randi, in his book An Encyclopedia of Claims,
Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural, points out that when
blindfolded, Ouija board operators are unable to produce intelligible messages.
Magicians Penn & Teller performed a similar demonstration in an episode of their
cable television show Bullshit! in which the operators moved the
planchette into what they thought was the positions of "yes" and "no" without
knowing that the board was turned upside-down, which caused them to move the
planchette into blank spaces on the board.
Spiritualists who believe Ouija boards can be used to make
actual contact with the spirit world feel that the act of hindering a medium’s
ability to use his or her own eyes while the board is in use effectively places
too great of a handicap on the whole exercise. This argument stems from the
belief that contacted spirits actually utilize the eyes of the medium during a
Ouija session in order to point to the letters and words needed to form a
message. Most believers of this notion believe that the board has no intrinsic
power in and of itself, but rather, is used simply as a tool to aid a medium
while in communication with the spirit world. Although many people have made
positive connections with the Ouija board, there have been several horrifying
myths and stories.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouija
Notable Users of the Ouija Board
Little is published regarding Aleister Crowley's advocacy of the
Ouija Board. Yet, he had great admiration for the use of one and the Ouija board
played a passing role in his magical workings. Crowley has stated, of the Ouija
Board, that, "There is, however, a good way of using this instrument to get
what you want, and that is to perform the whole operation in a consecrated
circle, so that undesirable aliens cannot interfere with it. You should then
employ the proper magical invocation in order to get into your circle just the
one spirit you want. It is comparatively easy to do this. A few simple
instructions are all that is necessary, and I shall be pleased to give these,
free of charge, to any one who cares to apply."
Other notable users of the ouija board include:
Aleister Crowley And the Ouija Board
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouija
Other Types of Talking Boards
There are literally hundreds, perhaps thousands, different types of talking
boards in existence.
Oriole Talking Board. Made
by the Southern Toy Company in 1905, this wooden Ouija look-alike was created by
Isaac Fuld
Mystifying Oracle. Made by
William Fuld in the 1920s. The Mystifying Oracle was identical Ouija with the
exception of its name and cheaper price.
Wizard. Made by Fortune industries in the 1940s,
this talking board was created on paper hard-board.
Magi Board.
Made by the Psychic Graf Company Inc. in 1943, the
Magi Board was designed on cardboard. Apparently, the planchette that went with
this board was a wooden cross with a large bullet pointer in the center.
According to the Museum of Talking Boards, "Sitters had to balance this
contraption on their fingertips and hope for the best. Although it sounds
strange, it actually worked quite nicely."
Ka-bala. The Mysterious Game that Foretells the Future.
Created in 1967 by the Transogram Company. Made of glow in the dark
plastic, this strange game foretells the future through letters
and numbers like the talking board, tarot cards, or by the zodiac.
Unlike most talking boards which are activated by a planchette, the Ka-Bala
used a large black marble as an indicator.
Consult
an online Ka-bala.
The Ka-Bala as advertised in the late 1960s.
Other iterations of the board exist in Asia. These are all home-made, with
words written on paper in local languages. The planchette is replaced by other
items, most commonly a pen, a dish (Chinese condiment saucer) or a coin. It is
often played by inquisitive teenagers.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouija
Psychological Explanation for How a Ouija Board Works
The ideomotor effect is a term that describes a psychological
phenomenon whereby an individual makes motions without conscious awareness.
Similar to reflexive responses to certain stimuli, such as the body's production
of tears in response to the emotion of sadeness, the body can sometimes react
unconsciously in response to a mere suggestion or idea. The term was first used
in a paper discussing the means through which the Ouija board produced its
results, by William Benjamin Carpenter in 1852. In the paper, Carpenter
explained his theory that muscular movement can be independent of conscious
desires or emotions. Those interested can read the original manuscript
here.
Stage hypnotists exploit the ideomotor effect for entertainment value,
convincing volunteers to perform some action without consciously deciding to do
so. The volunteers usually have no memory of their performance, much like
sleepwalkers who are unaware that they are acting on stimulus existing almost
entirely in their own minds. More subtle unconscious physical reactions are
often used by magicians and illusionists to perform "mind-reading" tricks.
Automatic writing, dowsing, facilitated communication, and Ouija boards have
also been attributed to the effect of this phenomenon. Mystics have often
attributed this motion to paranormal or supernatural force. Many subjects are
unconvinced that their actions are originating solely from within
themselves.Scientific tests by the English scientist Michael Faraday, the French
chemist Michel Chevreul, and the American psychologists William James and Ray
Hyman have demonstrated that many phenomena attributed to spiritual or
paranormal forces, or to mysterious "energies," are actually due to ideomotor
action. Furthermore, these tests demonstrate that "honest, intelligent people
can unconsciously engage in muscular activity that is consistent with their
expectations" (Hyman 1999). They also show that suggestions that can guide
behavior can be given by subtle clues (Hyman 1977).
Reference
Ray Hyman, Ph.D. (1999). "The
Mischief-Making of Ideomotor Action" (reproduced on web as How People
Are Fooled by Ideomotor Action). The Scientific Review of Alternative
Medicine (Fall-Winter). Retrieved on January 6, 2008 from
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/ideomotor.html.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouija
Is the Ouija Board Dangerous?
Similar to the Voodoo doll, the Ouija Board has endured a bad rap with Hollywood
and the media. It doesn't help that the rampant fakery of many Spiritualists has
perpetuated the negative hype and invalidated it's purported use as a medium
with which to communicate with spirits. Any attempts to communicate with the
dead or other spirits should not be taken lightly, however, and should not be
done by the inexperienced.
The board itself is not dangerous, but the form of communication that you are
attempting often is. Most often the spirits whom are contacted through the Ouija
are those whom reside on the lower astral plane. These spirits are often very
confused and may have died a violent or sudden death; murder, suicide, etc.
Therefore, many violent, negative and potentially dangerous conditions are
present to those using the board. Often times several spirits will attempt to
come through at the same time but the real danger lies when you ask for physical
proof of their existence! You might say, ˜Well, if you really are a spirit, then
put out this light or move that object! What you have just done is opened a
doorway between the physical and spiritual world and allowed them to enter. As a
result, future problems can and often do arise.
The best indicator as to whether or not using a channeling board of any kind is
a good thing to do is your intuition. If it doesn't feel right to you, don't use
it. It's that simple.
How to Make a Ouija Board
Making a basic ouija board is a relatively simple task. They can be
made out of literally any material. In a publication for Spiritualists printed
in 1886, a man describes how to make a talking board.
The ouija board you make can be as basic or complex in design as you want. I
suggest taking a look at all of the wonderful types of talking boards at the
Museum of Talking Boards to get some ideas for layouts and designs, then come up
with something original that reflects something about you.
To make your own talking board out of cardboard or cardstock, you will need the
following materials:
A pair of scissors
An A4 sheet of card (or bigger)
A pen or a marker
A glass or a penny.
Glue (optional)
- Start by writing out all of
the letters in one or two rows, making sure that the characters are large enough to read.
You can use any of the pictures on this page as a point of reference as to
their placement.
- In the row below that write
the numbers 0-9.
- Write
out “Yes”, “No” and “Goodbye” symbols, which will make communicating with the
spirits easier. You can add any other phrases you wish.
- Cut out the characters, numbers, words, and
phrases.
- Adhere them with glue to the paper according
to your desired layout.
- Viola! You are ready to have your first
talking board seance!
To make your talking board using some of traditional style letters, visit
Harold's Fonts for some
free downloads. Three ouija fonts that are available are Cap'n Howdy,
Mystick Prophet, and Sideshow. You certainly don't have to limit yourself to
these three, however, as there are hundreds to choose from.
How to Use a Ouija Board
Preparation
Obviously, you will need a talking
board of some kind. You can use a store bought board or a handcrafted board, or
you can simply take a piece of paper and draw the designs on the paper. If you
choose the latter option, make sure that the table upon which you place the
paper is relatively smooth as you will need to use an inverted glass as your
planchette substitute and it will need to slide freely.
The first thing to do when getting
ready to use a ouija board is to create some atmosophere. To do this, dim the
lights, close the curtains, and light some candles and incense. This gets you
psychologically and spiritually ready for communicating with the other side.
Prior to beginning, make sure
everyone agrees upon what will be asked of the ouija board. Everyone should be
comfortable with any sensitive subject matter to be addressed. If anyone is
resistant to delving into a particular topic, pick another one. The last thing
you want is high anxiety, fear, or conflict.
Agree upon who will be asking the
questions and how you will take turns.
Be sure that you trust everyone who
is participating. Suspicion will ruin any atmosphere created and hinder any true
effects.
Make sure that the place where you
will be using the ouija board is free from noise and distraction.
Be very sure of who you petition, if
you are seeking to commune with a particular spirit. It is not recommended to
summon any demons, or to even pretend doing so.
Conducting the Ouija Seánce
Take a moment prior to beginning and quiet your mind. The idea is to be in a
calm, relaxed state of mind so that you will be sensitive to any sensations or
vibrations from the board.
Place the tips of your fingers lightly on the planchette and begin to move it
around in circles on the board. This is called warming up the board. Then
ask your question. Pay attention to the letters and numbers where the planchette
is being drawn.
If something unusual happens, stay calm and
observe rather than react. When the seance is over, you can then discuss with
the other participants what happened and how you feel about the
experience.
Close the board at the
end of the seance, and blow out the candles. This way you are closing your
connection to any spirit you may have contacted.
Remember that the ouija board
is intended to be a game so be sure to have fun!
How to Use a Ouija Board
Talking
Boards for Sale
Here are a couple of
talking boards that come highly recommended:
Ouija Board: Glow-in-the-Dark
Parker Brothers
The classic Ouija board has the answers to all questions, except the
mysterious powers that determine its answers! It has always been mysterious. It
has always been mystifying. Now, it glows in the dark. I just
wish it was still made out of wood.
The Pathfinder Psychic Talking Board
Amy Zerner and Monte Farber
Easy to use talking board done in a Native American motif.
Psychic Circle
Amy Zerner and Monte Farber
An enchanting magical message board beautifully designed with colorful
artwork and a myriad of designs.
Links of Interest
The Museum of Talking Boards
By far, the best site about Ouija boards around. They have excellent photographs
of various types of talking boards and extensive background information.
DMOZ Open Directory Project Ouija Page
Consult
an online Ka-bala.
Fun interactive site.
Consult an online Ouija
board.
Another fun interactive site.
Demon Finder
Electronic online
exorcist. Kind of hokey, but amusing just the same.
Speak to the Corpse Bride from the Land of
the Dead
I like the graphics in this online talking board program.
Paranormal State
My favorite new show. This is a half-hour series chronicling the extraordinary
life of Ryan Buell and other members of the Penn State University Club The
Paranormal Research Society (PRS) as they seek to find the truth behind
terrifying real life mysteries, hauntings, and ghosts.
"Sorcery has been called Magic: but
Magic is Wisdom, and there is no
wisdom in Sorcery" PARACELSUS
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